Ch. 221 Having a Meal Together
He Sanlang's senses were quite sharp. Although Chu Lian had spoken in a low mutter, he still managed to catch it with his hearing. His thick brows drew together to express his clear displeasure.
"Chu Lian, what did you say?"
Chu Lian covered her mouth and gave an awkward titter. She leaned her body away from He Sanlang's and quickly replied, "Nothing."
She didn't dare to provoke him any longer. He Sanlang was just too dangerous right now. Chu Lian was smart enough not to bait the tiger in its den.
When He Changdi saw that he had somehow managed to survive this whole turn of events, he breathed a sigh of relief in his mind. He stood up, walked over to the small table and pretended to bump into the table 'accidentally', causing the little blue book to drop into the brazier placed conveniently next to the table. The book was instantly consumed by the flames within.
Chu Lian rolled her eyes. Anyone with eyes could tell that He Sanlang had done that on purpose.
He Changdi turned his body towards hers and stated, "I bumped into it accidentally. Never mind, it's no loss if it burns."
It really was no loss to He Sanlang. He couldn't wait to see it disappear from the face of the earth. Xiao Hongyu was likely the only one who would cry over the loss.
His very last book of obscene drawings had been burned into ashes. He must be destiny's favourite plaything!
While standing outside the tent, Wenqing and Wenlan secretly exchanged glances. After confirming that there weren't abnormal sounds coming from within the tent, they announced their return.
"Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, we servants have brought back your meals."
Chu Lian fixed her disarrayed hair before calling Wenqing and Wenlan in.
Wenqing moved the small table over to where the couple was seated. Wenlan then took out the dishes from within the box they had brought over and placed them on the table. While Wenqing busied herself with setting out chopsticks and bowls, she explained, "Captain Guo sent a message saying that something came up and that he won't be able to accompany Third Young Madam for the meal. This servant is to inform you that Lieutenant Xiao has also gone over to Captain Guo's side."
Chu Lian nodded with a slight upward tilt of her lips. It seemed like the officers of the Right Wing Army were really good at reading the situation. They seemed to be letting her and He Changdi have some private time to themselves!
She stopped her wandering thoughts and turned her gaze to the table instead. When she looked at the simple- almost crude- dishes, Chu Lian couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this what you eat normally?"
Although He Sanlang's position in the army wasn't very high, he was still an elite captain who commanded a few hundred men. Surely his meals shouldn't be this poor.
He Changdi shot a glance at her and nodded.
What he left unsaid was that these dishes were likely what Captain Guo had specially ordered the cookhouse to send them, considering that Chu Lian was a special guest.
Chu Lian eyed the wheat pancakes before her, which looked as hard as bricks, and some unknown food that was so charred that she couldn't tell what it had originally been. The nicest-looking dish was probably the plate of broiled preserved meat in the center.
Although there was steam rising from the dishes, Chu Lian lost all appetite from the whiff that she got.
When He Changdi saw that her brows had creased together, he wasn't too eager to start the meal either. He asked, "No appetite?"
After thinking for a bit, he understood what had happened. To the soldiers here in the north, the taste of Chu Lian's normal fare would be heavenly or almost inconceivable. How would she be able to swallow these military rations?
Wenqing and Wenlan felt anxious for their young mistress. Even they couldn't muster up any appetite, let alone their Third Young Madam!
After a slight pause, He Sanlang turned to Wenqing and Wenlan. "Go and cook something else for your Third Young Madam."
He turned to Chu Lian, who was sitting opposite him, and gave her a suggestion: "If you're feeling hungry, why don't you have some honey water first?" He knew that Chu Lian had the habit of drinking honey water.
Chu Lian didn't really want to eat the food served here in the northern border camp. However, when she looked at the food on the table, she could tell that they had been given enough for two. The northern border troops were already lacking in supplies, so it wouldn't be good to waste any of it.
She reached out and pointed at the plates.
"Then what about these?"
He Sanlang looked at the crude porcelain bowl in front of her. He took her bowl and put it in front of himself before replying in his usual magnetic tone, "I'll eat these. Wait for Wenqing and Wenlan to make you something else."
Then, He Changdi took up the bowl of charred mystery food and started gulping it down furiously.
Chu Lian saw that he had put the less perishable wheat pancakes and salted meat to one side and had only put the two bowls of mystery food in front of himself. She could guess at what he was intending to do. He Sanlang was going to finish the two bowls of charred stuff by himself in order not to waste food.
Her chest felt heavy for some reason, and she started to feel pity for He Changdi.
Chu Lian suddenly called out and stopped the maidservants who were about to go out to look for a place to cook.
Wenqing and Wenlan both gave Chu Lian strange looks. "Do you have any other orders, Third Young Madam?"
Chu Lian shook her head. "There's no need to go to the trouble. I'll eat these."
It wasn't as if she was a spoiled princess who couldn't bear the slightest bit of suffering. Since thousands of men in the army were eating these every day and even He Changdi was eating this kind of food, then why couldn't she do the same?
Wenqing and Wenlan's eyes widened. They couldn't believe that their Third Young Madam, who would rather starve than eat something terrible, would actually choose to eat such unappetising food. However, since their master had given the order, they couldn't disobey her. They retreated outside the tent so as to not disturb the young couple.
He Changdi clearly hadn't expected Chu Lian to actually eat this poor fare.
He remained stunned for a second before recovering his sense. Thinking that Chu Lian was only interested in the food because he was gulping it down quickly, he gave her a kind reminder. "Chu Lian, don't look at how quickly I'm eating this. Actually, it doesn't really taste that good. It's like heaven and earth compared to your cooking."
Chu Lian looked at him before pointing at the bowl he had taken from her. "Pass it to me."
He Sanlang had no other choice but to follow her order. He knew that he wouldn't be able to convince her at this point. He thought for a moment before pouring half of the mystery food from her bowl into his own. He then told Wenqing to pour a bowl of warm water for them.
He Sanlang placed the bowl in front of Chu Lian before making a few off-handed remarks, as if he wasn't concerned at all. However, anyone would be able to sense the care in his words.
"This bean paste doesn't taste very good, and you're probably not used to this kind of taste anyway. Just have a little bit of it. The wheat pancakes are too hard, so tear them up and soak them in the warm water before you eat them. You can have some of the salted meat as well."
Chu Lian nodded and took her bowl from him. She looked at the black substance that she now knew was 'bean paste' and gulped. Following that, she used her spoon to scoop of it up and placed it gingerly into her mouth. Almost immediately, a weird taste overwhelmed her tongue. Chu Lian almost spit it out. In the end, she forced herself to swallow it. After managing that feat, she quickly drank some warm water to wash away the lingering taste in her mouth.
Chu Lian was absolutely shocked at the taste of this strange bean paste. She had no idea how it was made either. The taste of it was almost at the level of Surströmming, one of the worst foods in the world.
As much as Chu Lian had tried to mentally prepare herself, she just couldn't summon the courage to take a second bite out of the small bowl of bean paste in front of her.
The hint of a smile could be seen in the crease of He Sanlang's eyes, a rarity for the normally icy-faced man. He took Chu Lian's bowl back and pushed the bowl of wheat pancakes to Chu Lian. "Eat this instead!"
Then, He Sanlang took out a fine-looking dagger from his waistband and, with practiced movements, cut off a few pieces from the salted meat before putting them in her bowl.
"If it's tasteless to you, then take a bite of salted meat."
Chu Lian nibbled at a wheat pancake and heaved a sigh of relief upon finding that it tasted pretty normal. Although it couldn't be considered delicious, it was like gourmet food compared to the bean paste.
While taking small bites from the pancake, she glanced at He Changdi from time to time. She watched as he expressionlessly finished off the two bowls of bean paste and cut off a small piece of salted meat. He chewed on the salted meat for a while before setting down his chopsticks.
Ch. 222 Getting Angry
Chu Lian had always been picky with her food. Although she managed to force herself to eat at least a little of each dish, she knew she was approaching her limits and sensibly set down her chopsticks after a few bites.
He Sanlang didn't say anything upon noticing her actions. He simply took her leftover wheat pancake and finished it.
Chu Lian blinked and watched as He Changdi ate all of her leftovers with a cold, handsome face. She felt both embarrassed and guilty at the same time.
In order to ease the awkwardness, Chu Lian tried to start up a conversation. "So this is what all the officers in camp eat every day?"
He Changdi finished drinking all the warm water left in the bowl and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief that Wenlan passed over. He then turned to look at the young, weak woman before of him.
The wicked woman's doe-like eyes were shining brightly, like a little creature filled with curiosity.
He Sanlang shifted his gaze away as casually as he could before carefully replying, "Mm, even the great general is no exception."
Chu Lian wailed in her heart at the bleakness of his answer. However, she also found it strange. She knew from history that even the unpaid volunteer forces that were formed to fight against sudden rebellions- like the Hunan Army, for example- weren't this worse off. With no grains and only bean paste to eat, this was a truly dire situation.
While He Sanlang's position wasn't very high, he was still a captain. Chu Lian had come today with an imperial decree to bring them supplies, so Great General Qian had specially invited her to stay for a meal. They wouldn't normally welcome their guests with such poor fare, what more an Honoured Lady representing the Empress Dowager.
However, the only thing the army kitchen's staff had sent over were these dishes...
At least there was salted meat and wheat pancakes, but at the same time, there was only salted meat and wheat pancakes. If this was what they were given, what about the lowest ranked soldiers?
Chu Lian's eyes widened into huge circles. She gulped and sped over to He Changdi's side.
When Wenqing and Wenlan noticed their young madam's sudden action, they were momentarily stunned. A red flush overcame their cheeks, and then they were both making a hasty retreat out of the tent.
Absence really did make the heart grow fonder. Third Young Madam hadn't gotten enough alone time with Third Young Master.
When Chu Lian sat down next to He Changdi, she even squeezed closer to him, as if they weren't already close enough.
All He Changdi could smell right now was Chu Lian's uniquely refreshing, sweet scent. His entire body froze as he tried to figure out what Chu Lian was trying to do.
He wanted to push the wicked woman away, but his hands just refused to listen to him.
Her familiar scent drew him back to the memories of that wonderful kiss from before.
The tips of He Sanlang's ears turned red and he gulped unconsciously, causing his Adam's apple to bob.
The depths of his pupils seemed to turn even darker as his eyes darted towards Chu Lian's tender, pink lips. However, Chu Lian's next words made him drop his wayward thoughts completely.
"He Sanlang, tell me honestly, is the border army running out of food?"
He Changdi's body froze like a statue. His eyes narrowed and he grabbed Chu Lian's arm with his large hand. In a deep, chilling tone, he questioned, "How do you know that?!"
Chu Lian hadn't noticed his strange mood yet; she was too occupied by her shock. Her eyes grew wide. So it was true!
"Didn't your manservant Laiyue follow you here to the northern border? How come I haven't seen him these past few days?" Laiyue definitely wasn't in the camp. Otherwise, he should have come out to welcome her in He Changdi's stead by now. However, he wasn't at Liangzhou's He Estate either... Chu Lian's eyes lit up.
"You've sent him out to secure supplies?" Chu Lian's bright, sparkling eyes were filled with certainty as she looked up at He Changdi.
However, the sight that met her eyes was enough to make her tremble in fright.
The look in He Sanlang's eyes was cold. He looked exactly like the day they had first met, as if he wanted to chew her up and spit out her blood. Back on their wedding night, when he had almost strangled her to death...
Chu Lian could feel the hairs on her head stand on end. She subconsciously took a step back, trying to distance herself from the danger before her.
However, He Changdi maintained his tight hold on her upper arm and refused to let her move. His dangerous gaze was locked onto Chu Lian's eyes, as if he was trying to see into her heart and thoughts with his eyes alone!
He asked again, "How. Do. You. Know. That!" His tone was even more sinister than the first time.
He Changdi had been able to make preparations in advance because he had experienced it in his previous life, but how had Chu Lian been able to find out about the lack of supplies?
By now, Chu Lian had realised that there was something wrong with He Sanlang. However, she still didn't know how she had triggered him.
She pushed at the hand grasping her arm and pitifully complained, "Can't you loosen up a little? You're hurting me! What do you mean, how do I know that? No need for someone to tell me; anyone with a brain would be able to guess it! If the meal they sent to welcome me as an envoy of the Empress Dowager looks like this, then what could the normal soldiers be eating?"
He Changdi continued his one-sided, fierce staring contest, even as Chu Lian gave him a wounded look. Just as she was about to let loose a furious scolding and start struggling, he finally let go.
In his past life, that wicked woman had cast a shadow over his heart, and a tremendous amount of fear still remained within him. Now that he realised he was somehow starting to care for this wicked woman- that is, if she was truly just this lifetime's Chu Lian- he was both afraid and uncertain. He was so very scared that the Chu Lian in front of him would disappear, only to be replaced by the tormentor of his previous life.
That was why his reaction had been so over the top.
Chu Lian was still in the dark about the reason behind He Changdi's abrupt change. She gingerly rubbed her arm and glared at the silent lunatic next to her, full of complaints.
"It's definitely bruised! He Sanlang, what kind of fit are you having?!"
When He Changdi finally came to his senses, the first emotion that came to his mind was regret. He didn't know how to face Chu Lian, so he bowed his head and let his long, thick eyelashes obscure his eyes. It was only after a long moment that he managed to say, "I didn't do that on purpose."
Chu Lian rolled her eyes and sighed.
She called for Wenqing and Wenlan.
"Help me up."
Wenqing carefully helped Chu Lian to her feet. When she touched Chu Lian's arm, her mistress let out a hiss of pain. Wenqing was startled; she secretly glanced at He Changdi.
Chu Lian straightened out her skirts before turning to the dazed He Sanlang sitting opposite her. "Husband, it's getting late. If I dally any longer, it'll be dark by the time I return to the He Estate."
Without giving He Changdi the chance to answer, she turned around and ordered Wenqing and Wenlan to help her into her cape. She stuffed her hands into her hand warmer before lifting the tent flap and leaving the tent.
Judging by how cold Chu Lian had suddenly become, anyone could tell that there was trouble in paradise.
When He Changdi saw that Chu Lian had left without even glancing back, his expression turned ugly. He resisted the urge to escort her out. The tent flap fell. It was only after it stopped moving that He Changdi raised his arm, preparing to shove over the small table still filled with food.
However, upon seeing the leftover wheat pancakes and salted meat, he had to hold himself back. In the end, without any other way to vent his anger and frustration, he kicked over the brazier on the side.
Bright red coals spilled all over the ground. Luckily, the floor of his tent was just bare dirt, so the coals didn't set fire to anything.
He Sanlang stared at the rolling hot coals on the ground with a dark look in his eyes. He paced around the tent twice in anger before sitting back down on his bed.
The originally hard, damp bedding had turned into a soft and warm one. The fleece blanket laid out on top was even more comfortable than the one he had brought with him from the capital. There were also flowers embroidered on the blanket, so he could tell that it belonged to a woman.
He Sanlang brushed the surface of the bed with his long fingers before checking the insides of his mattress. The mess of dried grass within had disappeared, replaced by a soft woollen blanket.
As the image of that wicked woman gritting her teeth and replacing his bedding for him came to mind, he could no longer sit still. He slammed the bed with his fist in a last show of temper before grabbing his cloak and dashing out of the tent after Chu Lian.